AP-Religion Roundup
Update on the latest in religion news:
Winans-Services
Services held for gospel music family patriarch `Pop' Winans
DETROIT (AP) - Mourners have celebrated the life of gospel music
family patriarch David "Pop" Winans at services this
week in his native Detroit.
Memorial services were held Tuesday and Wednesday at Perfecting
Church, where his son, Marvin Winans, is senior pastor. The Rev.
Jesse Jackson attended Wednesday's service, where family members
told stories about the elder Winans and his life.
"Pop" Winans died April 8 in Nashville, Tenn., at the age of
74 after suffering a heart attack and stroke last year.
He's survived by his wife, Delores "Mom" Winans, and six
children, including BeBe and CeCe Winans.
North Korea-Christian bands
US Christian bands in North Korea amid international tensions
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - Christian musicians in two
American bands, Casting Crowns and the Annie Moses Band, are
performing in North Korea this week amid heightened international
tensions.
The annual festival in Pyongyang showcases musicians, dancers
and acrobats to celebrate the birthday of the country's late
"Great Leader," Kim Il Sung, whose son is the current leader, Kim
Jong Il.
Tuesday, North Korea said it would restart its nuclear program,
quit disarmament talks, and boot out international inspectors
because the U.N. Security Council condemned its April 5 rocket
launch.
Before departing for Pyongyang Sunday, Casting Crowns lead
singer Mark Hall said the contemporary Christian band was going to
North Korea "to demonstrate respect for the people and continue to
establish relationships." Casting Crowns performed at the same
festival two years ago.
Archbishop Dolan
New York's new archbishop will oppose gay marriage
NEW YORK (AP) - New York's new Roman Catholic archbishop says
he'll oppose Governor David Paterson's effort to legalize gay
marriage.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan was installed Wednesday in a ceremony
at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
In his sermon, Dolan lamented that the church was "ridiculed
for her teaching on the sanctity of marriage." He said he also
hopes to revive observance in the church and protect the sanctity
of human life, "from the tiny baby in the womb to the last moment
of natural passing."
At a news conference before the installation Mass, Dolan said he
won't sidestep difficult issues, but will clearly articulate the
church's position on issues like traditional marriage.
Vatican-Pope's Birthday
Pope Benedict turns 82 today
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Today is Pope Benedict's 82nd birthday.
The pontiff received birthday wishes a day early when pilgrims
attending his general audience yesterday broke into a round of
"Happy Birthday" in English. He smiled and waved in response.
Sunday, Benedict also will mark the four-year anniversary of his
election as pontiff.
In a birthday special, Vatican Radio ran an interview with papal
spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi, in which he acknowledges that the
most difficult period of the past year was the pope's decision to
remove the excommunication of a bishop who denied the Holocaust.
Despite the outcry that ensued, Lombardi says, Benedict's
decision was guided by his desire to "bring men back to God and
God back to men."
Canada-Aboriginals-Pope
Pope to acknowledge suffering at Canadian schools
TORONTO (AP) - A spokesman for Canada's Catholic bishops says
Pope Benedict is expected to acknowledge abuse of aboriginals at
church-run schools when he meets with survivors this month.
From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 native
children were made to attend government-funded Christian schools in
an effort to assimilate them into Canadian society. Nearly 75
percent of the 130 schools were run by Catholic missionary
congregations.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized in Parliament last
year, calling the physical and sexual abuse of children at the
schools a sad chapter in Canada's history.
A spokesman for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops says
the pope plans to express regret when he meets with former students
April 29 at the Vatican.
Vatican-US-Religious Women
Vatican probing doctrine of US nuns
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Leaders of women's religious communities in
the United States say the Vatican has launched a doctrinal
investigation into their activities and initiatives.
The Leadership Conference of Women Religious says it was
informed of the "doctrinal assessment" in a letter from the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's orthodoxy
watchdog.
The doctrinal investigation is separate from another
Vatican-ordered study looking into the quality of the life in more
than 400 U.S. women's religious institutes to determine why the
number of nuns has declined so dramatically.
Priest-Kidney Donor
Priest gives kidney to ailing parishioner
NORMAL, Ill. (AP) - A Roman Catholic priest has given of himself
for an ailing parishioner by donating his left kidney to her.
Monsignor Eric Powell, pastor of Epiphany Roman Catholic Church
in Normal, Ill., underwent surgery at a hospital in Peoria. The
transplant surgeon says Powell and the kidney recipient are both
doing well.
The priest said he wanted "to alleviate potential suffering and
stand in solidarity with a sister in Christ." The 45-year-old
Powell would not name the recipient of the kidney.
The transplant occurred after Powell underwent months of testing
to determine whether he was physically and mentally fit to be an
organ donor.
Churchgoers Run Over
Priest helps lead funeral of woman he killed with car
FOREST HILLS, Pa. (AP) - A Pittsburgh-area priest has helped
lead the funeral of an 89-year-old woman who was killed when the
priest's car hit her and others after Good Friday services.
Madeline Romell was killed and four others were injured when the
Rev. Elmer Kacinko's car hit them outside St. Maurice Catholic
Church in Forest Hills, Pa. The priest told police that the
accelerator on his vehicle was stuck.
Romell's family welcomed Kacinko's participation in her funeral
Mass Wednesday.
The Rev. John Skirtich, who led the funeral with Kacinko and
three other priests, says the family considers her death a tragic
accident. They embraced the priest during funeral home visitations.
Three of those injured attended the funeral and Skirtich praised
them for their "great faith."
Yankees Lawsuit
Fans sues over ejection during `God Bless America'
NEW YORK (AP) - A baseball fan who was ejected from Yankee
Stadium after he left his seat to use the bathroom during the
playing of "God Bless America" is suing the New York Yankees and
the city.
Bradford Campeau-Laurion says in his federal lawsuit that at the
August 26 game, police marched him to the exit and pushed him out.
He says one officer told him if he didn't like it, he could leave
the country.
Campeau-Laurion's lawsuit says he does not participate in
religious services or acts of patriotism and objects to being
required to do so.
Police spokesman Paul Browne says the officers ejected
Campeau-Laurion after they "observed a male cursing, using
inappropriate language and acting in a disorderly manner while
reeking of alcohol."
Episcopal Split
Episcopal Church sues Texas diocese over property
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - The Episcopal Church has filed a
lawsuit seeking to regain control of church property from the
breakaway Diocese of Fort Worth.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Texas. Defendants include Fort
Worth Bishop Jack Iker, who led the theologically conservative
diocese to split from the national church over issues including gay
clergy and women in the priesthood. The Iker-led group voted last
year to join a more conservative province of the worldwide Anglican
Communion.
The Episcopal Church maintains that its rules prohibit dioceses
from breaking away and that church properties are held in trust for
the denomination.
Statue Beheaded
Vandal decapitates Virgin Mary statue
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - A vandal has beheaded the Virgin
Mary statue outside a Santa Monica church where California Gov.
Arnold Schwarzegger goes to Mass.
The headless statue was discovered Easter morning. A priest
found the head a few feet away.
The 55-year-old lifesize marble statue was covered with plastic
before Sunday services began. The head will be remounted.
Police Lt. Darrell Lowe says it's being investigated as a hate
crime because the statue is "of a very important figure within the
Catholic religion."
The feet and hands were cut off the statue in 2002. There were
no arrests in that incident.
School Religion
Oklahoma lawmakers OK teaching on religious documents
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma teachers would have broad
flexibility to discuss religious documents, speeches and other
materials under a bill working its way through the state lawmakers.
The Oklahoma Senate voted 40-7 Wednesday to approve the
legislation.
State Senator Clark Jolley says the bill would allow teachers to
discuss the religious context of historical documents like the
Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence.
Jolley says many teachers and districts shy away from such
discussions for fear of being sued.
But Senator Johnnie Crutchfield, a longtime teacher, says the
bill is motivated by politics. He says it's an "answer in search
of a problem."
Military-Religion
Justice seeks dismissal of suit alleging religious bias in
military
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Government lawyers are seeking dismissal of
a federal lawsuit alleging widespread religious discrimination in
the military.
The Justice Department says many of the lawsuit's claims are
only "general grievances" and not wrongs against specific
soldiers. They also contend that a soldier who joined the Military
Religious Freedom Foundation in filing the lawsuit did not pursue
his complaints enough with superiors first.
The lawsuit alleges a pervasive bias within the military in
favor of evangelical Christianity, including allowing troops to try
to convert Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Justice Department attorneys suggest that the lawsuit attacks a
tradition of religious observances within the military dating back
to George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War.
Girl in Suitcase-Wrong Woman
Namesake mistaken for girl's suspected killer
MANTECA, Calif. (AP) - A northern California woman who has the
same name as the Sunday school teacher charged with murdering an
eight-year-old girl says she's getting death threats from people
who mistake her for the suspect.
Like the woman who's accused of killing Sandra Cantu and putting
her body in a suitcase, the Melissa Huckaby who lives 14 miles away
is 28 years old, has a five-year-old daughter and volunteers at
church.
The improbable similarities have created inevitable confusion.
News crews keep calling or showing up, and so many people posted
threatening messages on her MySpace page that the misidentified
Huckaby says she fears for her safety.
She and her parents are speaking out in hopes of clearing her
name.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-04-16-09 0331EDT
